Where We Belong
by gollden sparrow
Summary: Those nineteen years between the battle and that day at the train station. Harry and Ginny, some Ron and Hermione.
1. THE BATTLE

The battle was rough on everyone. Fred had already died and Ginny thought that if anyone else of her family were to die she might not be able to handle it. Now as she comforted a small girl, she felt something pass her. Looking up slightly she didn't see anyone near them, but then again, Harry did have that invisibility cloak. Her heart skipped a beat at the thought that he might be there but then the girl turned and coughed again. "It hurts." She sobbed.

"Don't worry." She rubbed the poor girls back, "The pain will fade soon."

The girl turned to lay on her back and rested her head on Ginny's knees. "Really?" She looked so hopeful.

"Yes." Ginny lied to her. She couldn't tell a dying girl that what was to come was not relief, but the end. "My name is Ginny Weasley. What's yours?"

"Sally Burns." The name was ironic, considering that the burns which covered her body were soon to be the cause of her death. Then she looked at Ginny, with wisdom older than her age, "Tell my parents I love them."

Ginny watched as the light faded out of her eyes, her body going limp. Stifling the tears that were soon to overcome her she gently lay the girl's body down behind a statue. "I'll tell them."

"_The battle is over!"_ A shrill voice ran through the corridor, and could not be mistaken for anyone's other than Voldemort's, _"Harry Potter is dead."_

Ginny froze, "No." She whispered. It couldn't be true. He was too young. Only seventeen, how was he supposed to become an Auror if he was dead? How would she survive without him.

"_You're hero has fallen, while trying to escape. Trying to leave you all to clean up his mess."_ Ginny breathed a sigh of relief, he didn't kill Harry, Harry would never have tried to have escaped, he would never leave them alone.

She ran down the corridor towards the courtyard. She passed Ron and Hermione who were also running and Hermione grabbed her hand. "Ginny! What are you going out of the Room of Requirement?"

"Oh come off it Hermione! Let's just make sure Harry's alive before we get into this!"

"Right, right!" They continued running until they reached a throng of people all standing in a line. Figures were strolling out of the forest, dark cloaks on, wands held in front of them, "Death Eaters."

A taller figure strolled out in back of them, twirling his wand between his fingers. "_Surrender now and there will be no punishment for those of wizard decent!"_

"Voldemort." Ginny breathed. She had never seen him this close before, even at the Ministry of Magic.

There were a few defiant screams, some nasty words shouted before Voldemort silenced them all_, "You have no hope. Your great hero is dead." _he waved behind him and Hagrid stepped out of the forest, "_Harry Potter is dead."_

Ginny gasped; in Hagrid's arms was a small dirty form. Messy black hair and muggle clothing, his glasses were crooked but his scar stood out vivid as ever.

"No!"

"No!"

Ginny tried to push from between Hermione and Ron, "Harry! HARRY!"

The worst scream of all came from Professor McGonagall; "NO!" it was a hoarse strangled scream. Hermione's and Ron's had been horrible, and Ginny herself felt as though she'd never feel again, but McGonagall's was so unsuspected that it broke her heart all over again.

Harry had touched so many hearts; he was so kind, so loyal and innocent. He didn't deserve to die. He should be alive. Right at that moment he and Ginny should have been sitting in their common room, cuddling on the couch. But no, that would only happen in a perfect world. And the world was anything but perfect.

Ginny wanted to cry, she couldn't help it, the boy, no the man, she loved was now dead. They would never talk again, she would never feel those green eyes pierce her again, feel the love in his gaze. All those stolen kisses, all those late night dates sneaking out of the common room, they were all gone. Gone because Harry was dead. Because Harry was dead, and never again would he love her, the way he once did.

"Face it." Voldemort's voice was back to a normal tone but Ginny had a feeling that people all over could hear him, "The battle is over; you've lost."

There were shouts and Voldemort raised his wand, "SILENCE!" At once people stopped talking, stopped moving. No one could move. He had put a spell on them.

Ginny couldn't believe that this vile man could have killed Harry and the force of his death hit her again, "LIAR!" She broke free finally and screamed at him, "YOU WILL NEVER CONTROLL US!"

"I said SILENCE!" He raised his wand again and once again a silence came over the group.

"You can do nothing. I have won." He gazed out at the people, Hagrid sobbing in the background clutching Harry to his chest. "Face your defeat."

"DUMBLEDOR'S ARMY!" Neville had broken free of the spell and he ran forward. He had gone no more than five steps when he fell like a rock. He struggled but couldn't get free of whatever spell had been placed on him.

Voldemort strode forward slowly, his bare feet moving silently across the grassy plane. "You cannot win." He pulled out the sorting hat from behind him and placed it on Neville's head, "There will be no more sorting at Hogwarts. Only Slytherin shall prevail!"

The hat burst into flames, engulfing his head he squirmed, trying to get out when suddenly his arms were free. Ginny watched in awe as he jumped up and pulled the hat off his head, also pulling a silver sword out of the flames. Voldemort stood there in shock, giving Neville the time he needed to run forward and slice the head off of his snake. "THAT ONE WAS FOR HARRY!"

Ginny gave a laugh in triumph and she ran towards Bellatrix Lestrange, Hermione and Luna behind her. Ginny had thought the three of them might have been able to take her but they had obviously underestimated Bellatrix's strength. For every spell they shot, she had three already fired. The killing spell had just narrowly missed her when her mother pushed the girls aside. "NOT MY DAUGHTER YOU BITCH!"

The girls were ready to run in and help when they realized she didn't need it. Ginny's mother was doing fabulous, her wand whirling; shooting spells at a mile a minute. "What're you're kids going to do when poor mummy's dead!" Bellatrix laughed, "Gone just like Freddie!"

This seemed to push Molly over the limit and a jet up green light shot out the tip of her wand, flying under the outstretched arm of the wild eyed woman. She died like her cousin, the ghost of her last laugh etched on her face. But instead of tumbling into oblivion she crumpled to the floor, defeated.

There was a loud blast and a voice screamed out, "PROTEGO!" but it wasn't just any voice. Ginny would know that voice anywhere. It was the voice she had dreamt of so many times. The voice she had thought she would never hear again. The voice of Harry Potter.

She had never been so happy in her life. Harry, her Harry was alive; he was alive and about to battle the most powerful wizard in history. She almost laughed at the irony, the boy she loved was alive, only to put himself in another life threatening situation.

The two were circling each other, holding their wands out in front of themselves and Harry was saying something, "_...__Snape never beat Dumbledore! Dumbledore's death was planned between them! Dumbledore intended to die undefeated, the wand's last true master! If all had gone as planned, the wand's power would have died with him, because he never had it won from him!_"

Voldemort hissed back, "_But then, Potter, Dumbledore as good as gave me the wand! I stole the wand from its last master's tomb! I removed it against its last master's wishes! Its power is mine!_"

Harry laughed humorlessly, "...Didn't you listen to Ollivander? _The wand chooses the wizard_...The Elder Wand recognized a new master before Dumbledore died, someone who never laid a hand on it. The new master removed the wand from Dumbledore _against his will_, never realizing exactly what he had done, or that the world's most dangerous wand had given him its allegiance...The true master of the Elder Wand was _Draco Malfoy_."

Ginny stopped listening, too happy to see Harry alive. To see his green eyes once again, even if they were fixed on Voldemort full of malice. She tuned back in to hear Voldemort screech, "You dare?"

"Yes, I dare!" Harry screamed back, holding his wand more confidently. Voldemort was breaking, they could all see it, could all feel it. His power was slipping and Harry's was strengthening. From what she had heard Harry was the true master of the elder wand. The wand that Voldemort had supposedly dug up (along with Dumbledore) to find, and was holding in his hand.

More screaming passed and then the sun was rising, light coming over the horizon, "AVADA KEDAVERA!"

"EXPELLIARMUS!"

There was a blinding flash of light and then Harry was catching Voldemort's wand with the trained hand of a seeker. The crowd was silent as they watched Voldemort's lifeless body tumble to the ground. The uproar was so loud that Ginny almost reached up to cover her ears. Then there were people hugging her, Hermione and Ron, both of who were crying (though Ron would deny it later) they practically squeezed all the air out of her.

"We should go find Harry." Then Hermione dragged Ron away and they ran into the crowd.

Ginny saw George walking aimlessly through the crowd of people and walked over to him. "George." He looked up at her and she hugged him, "I'm so glad you're okay."

He said nothing, just stood there while she hugged him.

"George?" Silence. "George you answer me right now or I swear to god I'll-"

"You'll what Ginny? Kill me?" He laughed humorlessly, "I'd be all too happy if you did."

She smacked him so hard across the face that a couple people turned to look, "Don't you ever EVER say that." Her voice was shaky but soft.

"I don't know what to do Gin- Fred's gone." His voice cracked at the last words, "What do I do? Where do I go?"

"George, you can't think like that." She turned his face so he was looking at her, "Think of what Fred would say."

"What's that?" Her brother looked so lost that she almost cried right then and there. But no, she had to keep strong for him.

"He'd tell you to stop feeling sorry for yourself and get your arse to the great hall to celebrate Voldemort's death with your family."

"Hey no cursing." He looked shocked at what he had said.

Ginny smiled, his familiar words finally spilling the tears over her cheeks, "That's the George I know."

"Hey now, no crying." He wiped the tears from her eyes, "That's my job."

They hugged a moment before George took her hand and walked with her up to the Great Hall. They met their family at the Gryffindor table and Ginny shared hugs with all her brother's before going to sit next to her mom. "I'm so glad it's finally over."

"Me to dear me too."

They sat there, her head on her shoulder and listened to people rejoice. Until her mother said, "Where is Harry dear, he was looking awfully thin, I hope he ate something."

Ginny wanted to roll her eyes at her mother but that was a good question, where was Harry. "Mum, I'm going to go to the loo."

"Be careful Ginny; take one of your brothers with you." Ignoring her mom she walked out of the great hall only to run into Hermione, "Have you seen Harry?"

"No sorry." She hugged Ginny, "I'm so glad you're okay."

"Me too." She hugged her back, "You should go with my family until you can get back to your parents."

"Of course, good idea." She looked distracted. "Is Ron there too?"

"Yes. Now go." She watched Hermione go with a small smile.

Wandering down the corridor, thinking of where Harry could have possibly gone she saw something that brought her to a stop. The girl, Sally Burns, that Ginny had held while she died, was lying on the floor, her family surrounding her. Suddenly she remembered what Sally had said to her and walked up to the family.

"Um, Mr. and Mrs. Burns?" They all looked up, the smallest boy looked confused.

"Hello? Did we know you?"

"Err no…"

"Did you know our daughter?" They looked so distraught.

"Not exactly." She shuffled, "I-I found her when-when she was dying. I-I stayed with her the whole time. Tried to comfort her."

Her mother started to cry harder, "Oh god!"

"She-wanted me to tell you guys that she loved you."

"Oh god." Her mother had fallen to her knees.

"I couldn't leave her- and that was the last thing she said. She just wanted me to tell you she loved you." At the distraught look of the girl's parents she added, "She wasn't in pain, not at the end, I swear."

The oldest brother of about nine walked forward, "You just left her! Behind a statue!"

"I didn't want her to get – stepped on, or moved."

The parents were hugging each other on the ground and the smallest boy, about three ran over and hugged her legs, "Thank you miss. I'm glad Sally was with someone so nice."


	2. AFTERMATH

Ginny was wiping tears for her eyes when a though occurred to her, Harry must have been tired. What if he had gone back to his old dormitory in the Gryffindor tower? Surely the fat lady would have let him in after everything that had happened. Taking off at a run she reached the fat lady.

"Was Harry Potter here?" She was out of breath.

The fat lady nodded enthusiastically, "He sure was, the poor boy walked right up and asked for entrance. I let him in of course but I don't understand why he wasn't out celebrating."

She was still rambling when Ginny cut her off, "Do you mind letting me in?"

"Of course dearie." She was running through the whole when she heard the Fat Lady say, "ah young love."

Running up the stairs for the boys dorms she got a stitch in her side, but didn't let that stop her. She needed to see Harry, needed to hold him in her arms and make sure he really was alive. Make sure this was all real. When she reached the door she stopped just outside, a sudden thought striking her, what if he didn't want to see her? What if after everything that had happened he no longer felt anything towards her?

Steeling herself she opened the door silently. Sure enough he was lying there on the bed, his clothes were dirty and ripped, some parts even singed. His hair was long and unruly, his face dirty and bloody. His skin was pulled tight over his bones from lack of food but to her he looked amazing.

She drank him in for all it's worth and nearly jumped out of her skin when he talked, she could have sworn he had been sleeping, he'd looked so peaceful, "Are you just going to stand there all day watching me Ginny?"

"How did you know it was me?"

"Easy, Ron would have made a whole bunch of noise, and Hermione would have immediately started in on me being dirty and not celebrating with everyone. And besides you three I can't think of anyone who would come looking for me up here."

"What about Mum."

"She would have told me to get some food."

Ginny almost laughed, he was spot on. "You really should have something to eat though."

"Kreatcher brought me a sandwich."

"Oh." She gestured behind her even though his eyes were still closed. "Do you want me to leave so you could get some sleep?"

His eyes flew open immediately, his hand stretching out for her. "Come here."

She did, practically flying to his side and he pulled her onto the bed with him, cuddling her up to his side. "I missed you, so so much."

She smiled into his chest. "I missed you too." Then she sniffed, "But you really smell."

"Sorry." He grimaced, "Not many opportunities for showers when you're saving the world."

"It's fine." She fake sighed before becoming serious again, "I'm just so glad you're alive Harry. Why in the world did you have to scare me like that, pretending to be dead? I thought I'd lost you forever."

Harry stiffened and she lifted her head to look at him, "Can I tell you a secret Gin?" She nodded, "I need to tell someone what happened."

"Tell me."

So he did, starting at when they ran from the wedding at the Burrow. He told how they had to camp out hiding from view. He told of when Ron left them ("That git!" Ginny said) before coming back, only to destroy one horxcrux, which he also told her about. When he got to the part about Voldemort killing him Ginny denied it at first but then reluctantly believed him. How could she not? He would never lie to her. "And you saw what happened after. When I killed him."

"Oh god Harry. You had me so scared, coming back from the dead only to go face to face with Voldemort."

"Sorry." He smiled down to her, "It really couldn't be helped."

"I know, I know." She put a hand on his chest and poked him. He winced, "What?"

"Want to see something else?"

She nodded and he started to unbutton his shirt, "What are you doing?"

"Don't worry; I'm not going to strip in front of you." He opened up the top of his shirt and showed her what was inside.

"What is that?"

Harry closed the shirt back up, "The horcrux Ron destroyed with the sword."

"Now you have two scars."

"At least I made it out alive."

"I'm glad you did. I don't know what I would have done without you."

Harry rolled over to face her and gave her a kiss, slow and gentle. "I'd have missed you too."

"I love you Harry." She held her breath waiting for him to reject her but he didn't even hesitate.

"I love you too." They kissed a while longer before just lying there. Basking in the fact that they were both alive, and had their whole lives to live.

Then Ginny had a thought and turned to him. "I just have one question."

"Anything."

"Expelliarmus?"

"It worked didn't it!" He tickled her until they were both breathless.


	3. MUGGLE MOVIES

_Hehe, I'm back! Two reviews already :D I'm so happy! Anyways I hope you like this chapter...I know I did ;). I'll let you get to the reading now..._

The weeks that followed were happy ones, Ron and Hermione were openly dating, but Harry and Ginny had decided to wait and figure out where to go next. No one but Ron and Hermione suspected anything, not even Mrs. Weasley, but they stayed the best of friends. Fred funeral was a sad one.

That is, until George set of a series of fireworks. Mrs. Weasley was furious but the rest of them were thrilled. He had gone back to being his old self and that was more than they could ask for. After the funeral he had sent Ginny a silent wink, not letting anyone in on the conversation they had shared after the battle.

One particularly sunny afternoon while everyone was outside Ginny decided that Harry needed a haircut. She made him sit in the chair while he told her a particularly funny story from when he was little. This one was about Dudley and she laughed so hard she almost cut off a large clump of hair. She loved hearing stories from when he was little. The funny ones he told during the day, but late and night, when they were comfortable on the couch he would tell her the sadder one. Like the times when he was locked in his cupboard, not allowed to eat for days. Those stories she would cry and he would smile at her and tell her it hadn't been that bad.

"Ginny. I know it's been a while." Harry turned around in his seat ignoring Ginny's protests, "But if I asked you to maybe- date me. Would you?"

She looked at him for a moment. She had been giving him space, allowing him time to recover, and now he was asking her. Asking her what she had wanted to hear for so long, and she was at a loss for words, "Harry I…"

"I understand if you don't want to." He looked down, his glasses reflecting the waning light from the window, "It's okay."

"That's not what I meant." She pulled his chin up, "But I just want to make sure you're serious before I say yes."

"I am serious." He looked at her with a steely glint, "More serious than anything."

"Then yes. Of course I will Harry." She hugged him, "Of course I will."

He stood up, still hugging her and as cheesy as it may sound (and it does) they gazed into each other's eyes. It had been almost a month since the last time they kissed and now Ginny couldn't wait for it to happen again. Slowly Harry brought his mouth down to meet hers and right there in the kitchen they kissed, the sunset glinting behind them through the window.

Harry stuck his tongue into her mouth and they didn't hear the door open before there was a loud shout, "Oi!"

They jumped apart to see the entire Weasley family standing there in the doorway. Some of the faces looked angry, other's amused, and some just plain confused (Fluer) but never the less Harry was embarrassed, "I just- we-"

He was cut off when Ginny looked at them all, then Harry and burst out laughing. Then Harry was laughing too, his stomach cramping he laughed so hard. "I don't understand 'e could do so much better." Fluer was saying.

"Oh shut up Fluer." That was Hermione, fed up with her.

Mrs. Weasley didn't look particularly angry but as she shook a finger at Harry he became wary, "No listen hear mister, you are staying in my house and if I ever find you in Ginny's room you will regret it. Got that?"

He nodded, wide eyed, while Ginny laughed even harder. George clapped him on the back as he passed.

~**WHEREWEBELONGWHEREWEBELONG~**

The next few weeks were nice for Harry and Ginny, who had been caught kissing, because they didn't have to hide their relationship. Ginny was especially happy, Fluer (whom she had never liked) could not get her head wrapped around the thought that Harry was indeed dating Ginny Weasley. The two couples, for Hermione and Ron had been openly dating, often went on long walks. One time Harry and Hermione had even taken the Weasley's to see a muggle movie.

"So it's basically like wizard photo's" Ron scratched his head.

Hermione shook hers, "Not really. I mean sure the pictures move but they are able to have sound and it tells a story."

"And what are we seeing again?"

"The Lion King." Hermione and Harry both smiled, "It's a children's movie."

"Then why are we seeing it?" Ginny looked offended.

"Because it's entertaining and you don't really need to pay attention to know what's happening."

"Uh." Ron was confused so Harry leant forward and whispered in his ear, "Oh! Genius."

Five minutes into the movie Ron and Hermione were snogging loudly, while Harry and Ginny sat awkwardly next to them. "Uh, Harry." Ginny whispered to him.

"Yeah?"

"…Can we move?"

"Yeah."

Unfortunately for Harry, who found nothing special with muggle movies (he'd been raised muggle); Ginny was completely entranced with the movie. She watched the whole thing on the edge of her seat, her eyes opened wide with excitement. And when it was over she gushed to Harry about the music and drawings.

And despite not being able to snog his girlfriend, he found that he liked this side of her. "Oh Harry can we see another muggle picture?" She grabbed onto his arm.

"Yeah, we'll have to see what's playing next time."

"Yay!"


End file.
